Communists join Nepal government

After weeks of negotiations, Nepal has a government in which the Communists are equal partners with the leading centrist political party and top vote getter. The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist joined the Nepali Congress Party to form a coalition government, Feb. 25. The two political parties won the most seats in the Himalayan nation’s November 2013 parliamentary elections.

But in this former monarchy, besieged for decades by war, repression and poverty, the road to adopting a democratic constitution is fraught with difficult twists and turns. These last three months were no exception.

On Feb. 10, the Communists agreed to back Congress’ Sushil Koirala for prime minister after hammering out a number of “points of agreement” for the coalition government and arriving at verbal agreements on the ministerial appointments.

However once elected, Koirala refused to appoint the UML to the powerful home minister position, as agreed to, the UML said. That forced the party to reject Congress as a coalition partner, tying Koirala’s hands from moving forward with a Cabinet. Nepal’s legislative branch, the Constituent Assembly, elects the prime minister who appoints Cabinet ministers. Once posts are filled, this becomes the “government” (the executive branch).

Finally, Koirala and Congress acquiesced and allotted the post to the UML. Each party will have 10 ministries with several other parties taking remaining ministerial portfolios.

In the November 2013 election, no party received a majority in those elections, but the top two vote getters were NC and UML. In Nepal’s 601-seat Constituent Assembly, 575 seats are filled by a combination of direct elections and proportional representation. Twenty-six are reserved for women and others to help round out representation. Out of the elected seats, 194 went to NC and 175 to UML and 80 to the former-ruling Maoist party. Other minor parties got the remainder.

The country’s once popular Maoists, who won the election overwhelmingly in 2008, charged election fraud and refused to join the Constituent Assembly until the NC and UML agreed to an investigation.

Both parties had committed to delivering a constitution quickly. People have been frustrated by the constant bickering in the previous assembly.

Maoists waged an armed insurgency for 10 years against the King of Nepal, which was the only Hindu monarchical state in the world, while others, including the UML chose to wage the struggle for democracy through civil disobedience, electoral and other mass protest means. Eventually, the anti-monarchy/pro-democracy forces won, establishing a Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting a democratic constitution. In 2008, the Maoist communists swept the election winning two-to-one over the NC and UML and catapulted to the prime minister post. But problems arising from the armed insurgency and the call for thousands to lay down their arms or be absorbed into Nepal’s army, stymied efforts to move the country forward. President Jimmy Carter helped negotiate a successful resolution, eventually. The PM resigned and others from other parties, including UML stepped up to try to fulfill the voters’ mandate. However the task of approving a constitution remains.

CONTRIBUTOR

Rama Kant Sharma was born into a Communist family from Punjab, India in 1933. As a young boy, he became active in politics in 1944 as a student freedom fighter against British colonial rule. Sharma joined the Communist Party of India in 1949 and worked for it as a student until 1954. Sharma was a biology teacher and trade union organiser of an 18,000 strong teachers association in Delhi from 1954 until 1963.

Sharma went to Ethiopia in 1963, with his wife, also a teacher, where the two of them taught in that country.

Later he graduated in medicine from Calcutta University, and returned to Delhi to serve working families as a medical practitioner,while working as a voluntary medical doctor to the Communist Party of India's office until 1996. Sharma has run for office (parliament) as a Communist candidate.

Sharma was a founder and organizer of the Indian affiliate of International Physicians For Prevention of Nuclear War. After all four children, all of whom are medical doctors, immigrated to the United States, Sharma and his wife also immigrated to the United States.

Sharma is currently active in U.S. progressive politics and a member of Physicians For Social Responsibility.

Teresa Albano was the first woman editor-in-chief of People's World, 2003-2010, leading the transition from weekly print to daily online publishing and establishing PW's social media presence.

Albano has been a staff writer for People's World covering political, labor and social justice issues for more than 25 years. She traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad, including India, Cuba, Angola, Italy and to Paris to cover the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.

An award-winning journalist, Albano has been honored for her writing by International Labor Communications Association, National Federation of Press Women and Illinois Woman Press Association, including its prestigious Silver Feather Award. Albano combines her passion for social justice with one for swimming.